Disabled Persons

asked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what action he is taking to ensure that all new job-centres will be totally accessible to disabled employees and disabled visitors and contain adequate lavatories;

(2) what action he is taking to ensure that all existing jobcentres are totally accessible to disabled employees and disabled visitors and contain adequate lavatories.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that, because of its special concern for the resettlement of the disabled, the Employment Service Agency includes, in its design guide for jobcentres, a specific requirement for ease of access by the handicapped, including those confined to wheelchairs. Wherever possible the requirements on access of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 have been satisfied, although this has not always been practicable where existing employment offices have been converted to jobcentres and alternative arrangements are made for the reception of the severely handicapped.

Because of the central location of job-centres, near to public amenities, it is not usual to provide public toilets, and staff facilities are supplied in accordance with usual Civil Service standards.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it is not possible, without extensive research, to provide the estimate required. However, the Employment Service Agency, which is responsible for the resettlement of the disabled, includes, in its design guide for jobcentres, that there should be easy access for the disabled including those using wheelchairs. Because of their central location, it is not usual for public toilets to be provided in jobcentres.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that no new criteria for entitlement to assistance under the fares-to-work scheme have been introduced.

There have been changes in the way the amount of assistance payable is calculated. This has arisen from a change in the level of allowances paid to trainees undertaking courses of Government training. The training allowance scales have
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always been the "yardstick" for assessing the notional living costs of people seeking assistance under the fares-to-work scheme. On 1st August the scale of allowances for trainees was revised to bring them into conformity with the requirements of the Sex Discrimination Act. Prior to that date a male trainee could be paid an allowance for his wife, whether or not she was working, and for children. A woman trainee could not claim for a husband. Since 1st August husband and wife have been given equal status and a working spouse's earnings are taken into consideration when calculating allowances.

Because entitlement to assistance with fares to work is based on an applicant's needs, which is itself based on what allowances the applicant would receive if undergoing training, some new applications for assistance under the fares-towork scheme have been affected. Grants to disabled people currently receiving assistance have been reviewed and where appropriate the disabled person has retained the allowance being paid, on a personal mark-time basis. Other than changes arising from the above there have been no alterations in the method of calculating the assistance that can be paid.

On 17th November, following the general increase in the level of national insurance benefits, training allowances were increased. This has resulted in a small increase in the amount of financial assistance payable to disabled people being helped under the fares-to-work scheme.

The scheme is currently being reviewed with a view to removing the means-tested aspect from the method of calculating the level of assistance payable.